FRIDAY. HUNT FAMILY Home, Seattle, Washington.

Kyle rang the doorbell and peered through the frosted glass around the door of the Hunt home. He could see figures moving around, hear muted voices. If it weren’t for the cop cars, he might assume this was some kind of pre-election thing. As it stood he wasn’t sure what they were walking into.

The door was whisked open by an older woman with a silver bob haircut, bright blue eyes wearing a white blouse with a sweater hugging her shoulders like a cape and a gray pencil skirt. Her smile faltered a bit. They weren’t who she was expecting.

“Can I help you?” the woman asked.

“Are you Mrs. Hunt?” Kyle asked.

“No, I’m Loribelle. Friend of the family.” She smiled and clasped her hands in front of her. She actually seemed as friendly as her smile implied. “And you are?”

“Ma’am, my name is Kyle Martin. I’m with Aegis Group. This is Megan Hunt’s roommate, Bethany Rossi.” He reached into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet, producing a business card. He rarely used these, but in this setting the more official he could pretend to be, the better. “I’m looking into the disappearance of Megan Hunt. Are you or the family aware she’s missing?”

“Yes.” Loribelle rocked back in her pumps, eyes wide. “Everyone is very worried. The family is preparing a statement now. You’re looking for her you said? Come inside, please?”

The woman ushered them into the home and closed the door behind them.

The interior was fairly standard old money. Lots of wood, antiques, clean lines, random arrangements of flowers on every flat surface. Couple of oil paintings that looked like an unsupervised toddler’s design. A staircase curved around the foyer leading to the second floor. To the left the double doors opened onto a formal dining room with a capacity for at least twelve.

A couple of police officers and several men in suits stood around the table. A stoic woman clutching a tissue sat next to a man talking in an animated fashion to the others was the focal point.

Elijah Hunt.

“They’re going over Mr. Hunt’s final comments for his public statement about Megan,” Loribelle whispered.

Kyle took another step so he could see into the room and take stock of those present.

Most were men. White. Fifty appeared to be the median age. The beat cops hung back away from the others. They clearly didn’t want to be here as evidenced by the way they kept as much distance between them and the closest people. The rest wore suits. It was easy to pick out the campaign officials based on the fit of their jackets. There were only two men out of place in this crowd with their threadbare sports coats.

Kyle glanced at the patrol officers, then the two on the other side of the room.

Scratch his earlier assessment.

The uniformed officers were looking at everyone except those two.

Why? Who were they? Someone else in law enforcement?

“We love our daughter. We just want her back,” Elijah said staring around the table.

Odd.

Kyle backed up and glanced at Bethany. Her wide eyes had a bewildered look to them.

How was Megan so loved by her family when her roommates didn’t know who her parents were?

Kyle smelled something rotten about this situation.

Bethany turned her head and stared at him. The weight of her fear and the hope she’d placed in him threatened to make his knees buckle. That sort of pressure wasn’t usually on him directly. It went first to the company, then to Kyle. But she wasn’t a paying client. If he didn’t find Megan, this was on Kyle’s shoulders.

“Elijah?” Loribelle stepped into the room. “Megan’s roommate is here, and this man is from—Aegis Group?”

All eyes turned toward Kyle.

Great.

That was Kyle’s cue. He took a step forward and nodded at the City Council President.

“Afternoon, Mr. and Mrs. Hunt,” he said.

“It’ll have to wait.” Elijah glanced at his wrist watch. “The press should begin arriving any minute.”

“They’re already gathered on the terrace,” Loribelle said.

“You are aware your daughter is missing?” Kyle pitched his voice over the quiet murmurs in the room.

“What do you think this press conference is about?” Elijah stood, straightening his jacket.

Kyle closed his mouth.

He wasn’t a profiler, but he’d done enough search and rescue to know that shining a light on the bad guys didn’t always improve a situation.

“Is that Megan’s roommate?” Elijah pointed behind Kyle.

He glanced at Bethany, doing a great impression of a deer caught in headlights.

“Yes, this is Megan’s roommate,” Kyle said and stepped sideways to block her from view.

“I need her. Someone give her a tissue.” Elijah strode out of the dining room through a secondary exit. The men in suits followed in his wake like the dam Pied Piper, leaving the two beat cops behind.

Bethany grabbed Kyle’s hand and backed toward the front door.

“I can’t go out there,” she whispered.

“You don’t have to.” He turned his hand around, grasping hers.

Kyle didn’t know Megan, but he was beginning to understand her. Growing up in a house like this, where people were staged and used, it would make anyone distant.

The two officers stepped through the double doors, speaking in low voices.

“We need to make some new friends.” Kyle squeezed her hand again and turned towards the cops. “Excuse me? Hi, Kyle Martin.”

The two officers stopped in their tracks, eyeing Kyle with wary gazes. He held out his right hand, giving them no option.

“I was told the cops weren’t looking into Megan’s disappearance yet.” Kyle glanced at Bethany, who was still sheet white. “I don’t want to step on anyone’s toes. In fact, I’d prefer if we could help each other out.”

The officers shared a look.

“What does that mean? That look? And why wouldn’t you look at those two...detectives? They were detectives, weren’t they? What’s the real story?” Kyle had a nagging suspicion that something wasn’t right about all of this.

“I’m afraid we can’t share details,” the shorter officer said.

“Wish we could help,” the other said.

The two officers stepped past Kyle, and all but sprinted for the front doors.

Something was up. Something bad.

BETHANY COULD FEEL the sweat tricking down her sides and spine.

She could not go on camera. That wasn’t an option. Her dad was a news junkie. If she went on camera, he’d see her and then tell Anthony.

“Bethany? Beth? Hey, look at me?” Kyle cupped her face, forcing her to look at him.

She stared up at Kyle, his unwavering gaze offering a tether to here and now.

“That’s my girl. Take a deep breath for me, okay? In.” Kyle sucked down a breath.

Bethany did as he asked, filling her lungs with oxygen.

“And out,” he said.

She exhaled and ducked her head.

“Better?” Kyle’s fingers stroked her cheeks.

“Yes.” She swallowed and forced herself to meet his gaze. She couldn’t hide. She’d promised herself to stop letting fear win. Panic didn’t solve anything.

“You don’t have to participate in this dog and pony show, understand?” His stern mouth said he’d go to bat for her on this. He’d shield her. Protect her.

Bethany nodded because she couldn’t speak around the lump in her throat.

“Good.” He pulled his hands away, her skin still warm from his touch. His voice softened, pitched lower for her ears along. “What just happened there? Where’d you go?”

“I’d prefer to not talk about it. At least...not right now.” She tried to smile, but her face wasn’t cooperating.

“Okay.” He didn’t hesitate. There was no judgment, no pity.

Since the moment she’d shown up at Kyle’s house today, out of options and fearing for her friend, he’d stepped in and shouldered the responsibility that should have been hers. He deserved more than her trust. Her pitiful history was a small thing in the scope of what they were dealing with.

“I have an ex. We didn’t end well.” Or begin well, for that matter. He’d been bad for her at all points of their relationship, she just hadn’t let herself see it. She crossed her arms over her chest. “I—just—if he saw me on TV...”

“You don’t have to explain anything. Understand?” Kyle took a small step toward her.

“Most people don’t panic at the idea of being on TV.” She’d done a great job of pretending like her past didn’t exist, but the truth was the idea of facing her ex in any way terrified her. She’d fought against herself, her family and him to get out of there. She wasn’t going back.

“Most people aren’t a saint.” One side of his mouth hitched up. The warmth shining back at her caught her off guard.

“I am not.”

“You did what I couldn’t do.” The other side of his mouth rose, and he smiled at her.

Her breath caught in her throat.

When he wasn’t being brooding and intimidating he was pretty damn handsome. When he looked at her, it was as though she were the only other person on the planet. How was it possible a man could make her feel special with nothing more than his eyes?

“Excuse me?” Loribelle strode through the foyer to them. “Mr. Hunt is ready for you.”

“She’s not serving as his backdrop,” Kyle said in a hard tone.

“But, it’s for Megan.” Loribelle gaped at Kyle then Bethany.

“It’s for Ms. Rossi’s safety.” Kyle crossed his arms over his chest, the warmth gone. In its place was stern command.

Bethany didn’t want to be the one who had to take Kyle on right now.

Loribelle straightened and took a step back. She blinked at Kyle, her lips working soundlessly. It wasn’t his words garnering this nervous reaction; it was the stern stare, the silent command aimed at one woman. Yet there was something different, intentional even, about the way he looked at Loribelle that didn’t match up to how he’d been earlier. He was sending a message.

“I’ll...let Mr. Hunt know,” she said and turned.

They watched Loribelle stride through the hall toward the back of the house. She glanced over her shoulder a few times as though she were afraid Kyle would follow.

“Was that necessary?” Bethany wasn’t sure if she was offended or fascinated.

“That woman worships Elijah Hunt. Friend of the family my ass,” he muttered.

“You think...? She’s...?”

“His side piece? Yeah. And judging by the distant look on Mrs. Hunt’s face, she knows it.” Kyle shook his head. “This is probably a waste of our time if Megan has cut them out of her life. I’d like to hear what he’s going to say, if you don’t mind? We could still be looking at a situation where Megan is a target because of her father.”

“If it’ll help us find Megan, yes.” She stared after Loribelle. “Ten minutes here and I understand Megan better than I have since we met.”

“Can’t say I blame her for cutting ties. You want to wait here or come with?”

“I’ll go with you.”

“Come on then.” Kyle held his hand out to her.

Bethany stared at his hand a moment.

Before today they each had clearly defined roles. They remained in their lane, acknowledging each other when they crossed paths, but nothing more. Now he was calling her Beth and holding her hand. If she wasn’t careful, she’d forget her promise about dating. Kyle might be worth it.

Then again, who said they had to date?

She took his hand, his warmth seeping into her frozen fingertips, up her arms and into her chest.

Kyle was not what she’d expected, and she didn’t know how to process that.

He led her through the hall in the middle of the house into what looked like another foyer. It was hard to imagine Megan growing up here. She didn’t wear make-up and most of her clothes were thread bare. It was like she tried to be everything her parents weren’t.

Bethany could see how parents like the Hunt’s had shaped Megan. She’d probably never outgrown her teenage rebellion stage. Of course Megan didn’t make friends easily. With a father like hers, Bethany would have the same issues. It was obvious he used everyone around him. Megan’s birth was likely a staged act, and she was smart enough to see these things.

Kyle and Bethany edged out onto the terrace with the other people clustered around a raised dais with Mr. and Mrs. Hunt standing behind a podium. Everyone except them had some sort of recording device aimed at Megan’s parents. Unlike before in the dining room, Mrs. Hunt’s face was no longer a frozen mask. Tears ran down her cheeks and color splotched her face whereas before she’d barely seemed moved by her daughter’s disappearance.

“Thank you all for coming here today.” Elijah Hunt bent over a set of microphones with just about every news channel represented on their handles. He wiped his hand over his face. “Our daughter, Megan Hunt, is missing.”

The emotion behind his words, how he spoke, were mesmerizing. Elijah alternated between begging the people there for help and telling odd stories about Megan as a child. While part of Bethany knew this was an act, the other half was moved to want to help. By the end of whatever this was Bethany’s eyes were leaking again. Kyle wrapped his arm around her shoulders and nodded at the doors.

“Come on. Let’s go,” he whispered.

She let him guide her back inside.

It was a rule between her, Faith and Megan that they didn’t talk about their past. They each had history that was better left forgotten. Getting this inside look at Megan’s family, Bethany could see why Megan would want to get out of here. Despite the wealth and opportunity, all this was a stage. There was no life here.

“What’d you think?” Elijah’s voice boomed off the marble floors.

Kyle stopped, giving her no choice but to turn with him or flee the house by herself. She wasn’t ready to be without him.

“We’ll have Meg home by dinner, don’t you think?” Elijah ambled toward them, a wide smile on his face.

“Or you just told whoever might have her that the clock is ticking.” Kyle let go of her hand and took a step toward Elijah. “They could panic and kill her instead of letting her go. The truth is, we know nothing about where she is, who has her, any of that.”

“They wouldn’t kill her. Not after that.” Elijah gestured at the doors leading to the terrace.

“Assuming she’s been kidnapped—which we have not yet provided evidence of—she’s no longer a nameless, faceless woman no one will miss. She’s now the daughter of an elected official with the whole police force looking for her. Without knowing who has her or what their motives are, there’s no way to anticipate how they’d take that. For all you know, they’re panicking right now and are going to kill her. So no, I don’t think what you did was a good idea.”

Elijah glared at Kyle, his face stony and his eyes flashing with anger. Bethany knew men like this. There were a lot of doctors she’d worked with who couldn’t handle hearing they were wrong.

“Who did you say you worked for again? Why are you here?” Elijah asked.

“I work for Aegis Group and I’m here with a concerned friend.” Kyle nodded at her.

Elijah’s gaze flicked toward her. Bethany swallowed and held her ground.

“Are you the one who reported Ms. Hunt missing?” A man stood in the doorway leading into a room on Bethany’s right. He was an older, lean man in a suit with thinning gray hair.

“Yes.” She swallowed.

“When is the last time you saw her?” he asked.

“A little after nine. It’s all in the report.” She’d written it all down despite the scoffing of the cops.

“Why is that important?” Kyle directed his attention at the new man.

The man turned his gaze to Mr. Hunt.

“You know why,” the man said.

Mr. Hunt grimaced and glanced around, as though checking to ensure no one else would overhear.

“He thinks the Triple Threat Killer is back,” Mr. Hunt said.

Bethany grasped Kyle’s hand.

That wasn’t possible...

FRIDAY. CANDLELIGHT Theater, Seattle, Washington.

Jay perched on the bed, his phone cradled in his hands. The newscast was everywhere.

The Hunts filled his screen, the wife doing her best impression of a fountain while the father tried to weave his spell over the audience.

“Thank you all for coming here today.” Elijah wiped his hand over his face. “Our daughter, Megan Hunt, is missing. She was seen last night at nine headed to the movie theater near her house. She always loved going to the movies—”

“This windbag.” Jay shook his head and glanced at the woman reclining on the bed.

Wait.

This was wrong.

He couldn’t talk to Megan when she wore Mom’s mask.

Jay reached over and grasped the wispy hair attached to the mask, pulling it off.

Megan stared back at him, her eyes wide, skin splotchy and the cloth tied around her mouth damp. He hated the mess gags made, but they were necessary.

“Can you believe him?” Jay shoved his phone in her face.

He hadn’t known Megan was the daughter of the Council President when she’d caught his attention, but once he dug up that fact she’d lured him in until she was all he could think about. He’d kept tabs on her, made visits to Seattle to watch her and her roommates, make his plans.

“Such a blowhard.” Jay leaned back against her legs so they could both watch the video.

Megan had inspired this change. Her and this theater. They were going to help him achieve a new high. Over the years the rush just wasn’t the same, so he’d changed it up a little at a time. This year he was going to do it big. Right. Amazing.

He had a plan. He knew the women. The stage was set. It was all about the right moment. This would make the almost three-year interval worth it. The high would be better than before. On a level with those first three when he hadn’t known what he was doing.

Nothing could beat a first time, but he was going to try his damn best this time around.

“Time for me to be off.” Jay patted Megan’s leg. “Bethany will be joining you shortly. I’m sure that will improve your mood.”

He pushed to his feet and shoved his phone in his pocket.

Of the three, Bethany would be easiest. Her perky smile hid a timid personality. No backbone. No ability to stand up for herself. If there was one lesson Mom and Bethany could learn, it was that they had to take responsibility for what happened to them. Mom let herself get locked in a career that used her. Bethany had let her ex down by not trying hard enough to be the woman she should have been.

Jay was going to enjoy this.